Message from Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, on the Occasion of International Mother Language Day

联合国教科文组织总干事伊琳娜·博科娃女士国际母语日致辞

UNESCO, 21 February 2014

教科文组织，2014年2月21日

Local languages for global citizenship: spotlight on science

当地语言促进世界公民意识：聚焦科学

For 14 years now, UNESCO and its partners have celebrated International Mother Language Day. We have organized activities, conferences, concerts and seminars around the world to highlight the importance of linguistic diversity and multilingualism.

教科文组织及其合作伙伴庆祝国际母语日已有十四载。世界各地举办活动、讲座、音乐会、研讨会，帮助每个人探讨语言多样性和多语言制的重要意义。

The protection and promotion of mother languages are keys to global citizenship and authentic mutual understanding. Understanding and speaking more than one language leads to a greater understanding of the wealth of cultural interactions in our world. Recognizing local languages enables more people to make their voices heard and take an active part in their collective fate. That is why UNESCO makes every effort to promote the harmonious coexistence of the 7,000 languages spoken by humanity.

保护和促进母语对于世界公民意识以及真正的相互理解至关重要。懂得和会讲多种语言，就可更好地理解我们这个世界丰富的文化互动。承认当地语言可让最大多数人发出自己的声音，积极参与到集体命运之中。所以教科文组织调动一切因素来促进人类所讲的 7000种语言的和谐共处。

This year, we place special emphasis on “Local languages for global citizenship: spotlight on science”, showing how languages ensure access to knowledge, its transmission and its plurality. Contrary to popular wisdom, local languages are perfectly capable of transmitting the most modern scientific knowledge in mathematics, physics, technology and so on. Recognizing these languages also means opening the door to a great deal of often overlooked traditional scientific knowledge to enrich our overall knowledge base.

今年我们的重点是“当地语言促进世界公民意识：聚焦科学”，来说明语言对于知识的获取、传播和多元化居功至伟。与固有观念相反，当地语言完全能够传播最现代的科学知识，如数学、物理、技术。承认这些语言，也就打开了经常被视而不见的多种传统科学知识的大门，并丰富我们的知识。

Local languages constitute the majority of languages spoken across our world in the field of science. They are also the most endangered. Excluding languages means excluding those who speak them from their fundamental human right to scientific knowledge.

在科学领域，世界上所说的大多数语言是当地语言。它们也是最受威胁的语言。语言排斥表现在对说这些语言的人的排斥，从他们的基本人权到科学知识。

And yet, the rapprochement of peoples in the “global village” makes working towards intercultural understanding and dialogue ever more vital. In today’s world, the norm is to use at least three languages, including one local language, one language of wider communication and one international language to communicate at both the local and global levels. This linguistic and cultural diversity may be our best chance for the future: for creativity, innovation and inclusion. We must not squander it.

然而，“地球村”各民族要和睦相处，文化理解和对话工作就愈加必要。今天，世界上的标准是至少使用三种语言：一种当地语言，一种用于主要交流的语言和一种用于当地和全球层面交流的国际语言。这种语言和文化多样性也许是我们建设创造性、创新和包容的未来的最大机遇。切莫浪费这一机遇。

International Mother Language Day has contributed for more than a decade to highlighting the many roles played by languages in shaping minds, in the broadest sense, and building a global citizenship where we all have the means of contributing to the lives and challenges of societies. I call upon all the Member States of UNESCO, the International Organisation of La Francophonie—which is associated with the Day in 2014—those active in civil society, educators, cultural associations and the media to make the most of this promise of linguistic diversity for peace and sustainable development.

十几年来，国际母语日为发挥语言的多种作用培养广义的人才、培养世界公民意识、让人人拥有参与社会生活和挑战的真正手段做出了贡献。我请教科文组织的所有会员国、加入到2014年母语日的国际法语组织、民间社会的有关方面、教育工作者、文化协会和媒体履行诺言，让语言多样性促进和平与可持续发展。

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